The European Parliament is worried about hate speech and fake news: should content be removed and fines be imposed? Or the emphasis be placed on teaching people to tell the difference between real sources or fake ones ?

Transcript:

Fake news Fake news Fake news Fake news Fake news Fake news: the deliberate spreading of false information for political purposes. Opinions on how to tackle the issue vary wildly. But there’s one thing the European Parliament doesn’t want: You are inventing a Ministry of Truth, à la George Orwell. No one wants a Ministry of Truth. We don’t want any ministries of truth, thank you. The US elections showed the political power of misinformation. And some have pointed fingers at Moscow. The Kremlin is fighting an information war against the EU designed to break it up. Likely to be on the radar are Russia’s immediate neighbours, the western Balkans, as well as France and Germany, with elections coming up. Another issue up for debate is how to tackle hate speech online. Should it be up to users to behave themselves or tech giants to enforce the law? The Code of Conduct is an important step but voluntary rules are not enough. No technology is qualified to make the difficult decisions needed to qualify hate speech. Six out of ten news items shared on social media have not been read by the user sharing it. So before you post this video, make sure it’s real. :)

Newsletter

Related videos

During the Christmas period, more and more citizens are turning to digital products. It is a new norm that need to be regulated to better protect citizens. From defective products, unjustified geo-blocking, cross-border deliveries, to online streaming and the end of roaming, the European Parliament is tackling the issues.

Launched in 2013, the Youth Employment Initiative provides financial support to regions struggling with high rates of youth unemployment. MEPs now want Member States to play their part and promote much needed reforms with long-term, sustainable youth employment as a target.

The European Union was founded on principles of human rights and freedom of expression. That's why the European Parliament supports countries like Tunisia in their ongoing efforts towards democracy. This support comes in the form of legal and political action including the Sakharov Prize and the Sakharov Fellowship. Meet Asma Kaouech, a Tunisian activist and Sakharov fellow, who tells us her story.

Climate change is the primary challenge our generation will face, and the European Union has the power to do something about it, but what? The Baltic region is the European area most at risk of climate change, facing heatwaves, torrential rain and rising sea levels. This video explores how the Gdansk region of Poland is dealing with these issues with help from the EU.